Flood-fence



JoHN'A. swoPE, OF GERMANY TOWNSHIP, ADAMS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

' FLOOD-FENCE.

seminaries. ef Lettere Patent Ne. 5,557, dated october 17, 1848-.

v To all whom tfmag/ concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. Sworn, of Germany township, in the county of Adams and Stat-e of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Method of Constructing Flood-F ences; and I do hereby declare the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specication, in which- Figure l, is a view of the fence when undisturbed by the Hood; and Fig. 2, a reverse View of the same when thrown open by the action of the flood.

The nat-ure of my invention consists Iin such a construction that the action of the flood upon a lever shall throw loose the ends of the rails from the key post, and then eachvreleased panel throw loose the next, and so on successively, until all the panels are thrown loose; and in so attaching the rails, that they may yield to and float with the current, while secured to the posts.

To ena-ble others skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, I will proceed more particularly t'o describe its construction A,and operation. Y

Posts are sunk in the ground in the ordinary manner, to such depth as the nature of the ground, &c., may require. Rails or boards of 'such number and size as may be required by the height of the fence needed are attached to the posts by staples interlinked, one sunk in the side of the post and the other in the rail near its end. Spaces are sawed in that side of the posts. not exposed to the action 'of the current, and of such depth as to receive the ends of two rails or boards, one overlapping the other. The rails are kept firmly in their places by upright bars. l

The upright bar (B, which may for distinction be called the key bar) extends from the top of the post (A,) to a few inches below the lower rail, or board. Upon the lower end of the upright bar (B,) is an iron plate, by which it is fastened with a staple (61,) to the post (A,) but so as to move freely when thrown loose above. The upper end of this upright bar (B,) is held firmly to the post (A,) (thus keeping the railsvsecurely in their places),by the hooked end (5,)- of the lever (0,) secured on the top of the post (A,) by two staples (c, 0,) in the manner represented in the drawings; and the arm of this lever (0,) `hangs nearly perpendicularly, from the top o-f the post, nearly to its base on the side exposed to the force of. the current, the post A having a greater depth than the other posts to allow for the play of the lever. The upper portion of the lever (0,) is of iron, and the lower part or arm (6A) is of wood, and several inches in breadth. Half way up the upright bar (B) an iron pin is received into it (see e,) projecting from the post (A,) so as to prevent the bar (13,) from moving laterally from any disturbing cause.

All the other posts (X, X,) have i up-` right bars (D, D,) fastened to the tops of v the link (gl) caught upon the catch (7a) the rails are held securely in their places.

Having described thefence, we will now explain its operation in a flood. The water rising presses upon the arm (d,) of the lever (0,) and thus eleva-tes the hooked end (6,) whichr retains the top of the upright bar (13,) which is thus thrown loose, and the ends of the rails, 'having nothing to secure lthem are pressed out of the spaces (i z') and the rails and the upright bar (B,) float out with the current. The force of the vwater having thus thrown loose the rails from the key post A,) each lower rail, upon which the `catch and the upright bar (D,) thrown lloose and rkthe rails of the next panel pressed out and float from their attachments by their staples; and thus every successive panel lon either la) is fixed, being thrown out,they 4link (g) is loosened from its catch (la) side of the key post is thrown loose, by the lower rail of the preceding panel, ithaving a similar catch to receive a link from alike upright bar. This catch (h,) consists of a small plate of iron, with ltwo oblong holes through which the staple is driven into the e v rail. This plate or catch (la) works loosely on the staple when the lower rail of the adjacent panel is thrown loose, ,so as easily to release vthe link (g,) and thus the upright baron the next panel. e

What I claim as my invention and desire rails sha-ll be thrown loose, and they shall to secure by Letters Patent islfloat with the current at the same time that 10 The mode of constructing a l'lood fence they are securely attached to the posts. (herein described) so that the action of the JN0 A SWOPE 5 Hood upon the arm of a lever shall release the rails, and that the opening of one panel Witnesses: shall throw loose the next panel, and it the D. C. MCCONAUGHY, next, and so on successively until all the JNO. ARNOLD. 

